RFL President - Ned Ahnell and RFL VP USA Football Player Safety Coach - Guy Stefanelli attended the 5th annual USA Football National Conference in Orlando at the NFL Pro Bowl. The main topic of discussion was player safety, the benefits of playing football as a life lesson and what we can do to protect the sport that we all love.

INDIANAPOLIS – USA Football is pleased to announce Florida Senator Marco Rubio will help welcome approximately 1,000 high school and youth football leaders to Orlando, Fla., at its fifth annual National Conference.

Senator Rubio took the stage Friday, Jan. 26, at 4 p.m. ET at the Orange County Convention Center to address conference participants in his home state of Florida.

“Between playing on the college gridiron, coaching youth football, and my lifelong allegiance to the Miami Dolphins, football has always had a profound impact on my life,” said Rubio. “Rarely do I turn down an opportunity to talk about this great American pastime, and I look forward to speaking at USA Football's 2018 National Conference.”

“Football unites us in uncommon ways, regardless of race, region, or which side of the political aisle one sits.” said USA Football CEO and Executive Director SCOTT HALLENBECK. “We are pleased to have Senator Rubio help kickoff three days of education, thought-leadership and information-sharing as we advance football together for the good of young athletes.”

The fifth annual USA Football National Conference returns to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Jan. 26-28, for the second consecutive year. The event is the nation’s largest annual gathering of high school and youth football administrators and coaches, uniting more than 1,000 participants for three days of professional and program development during an exciting series of events during the NFL’s Pro Bowl Week.

What:A premier contact football camp directed by Good Counsel Varsity Head

Coach Andy Stefanelli and staffed by area high school coaches. Also , featuring many of the area’s top High School and College players as camp counselors.

Program:Emphasis will be on age appropriate fundamentals, techniques and advanced skills for those with experience. Daily speakers will promote attention to school, sportsmanship, character and winning attitude.

USA Football would like to let you know of a study recently published by the medical journal JAMA Neurology, a publication of the American Medical Association.

This study focused on long-term effects of playing high school football. The results may be of interest to you, your peers and your league's parents.

The study, which may be read by clicking here, examined later-life cognitive impairment and depression among 3,904 former high school football players who graduated from high school in 1957.

The research indicates no significant differences in these areas between the former high school players and their peers who did not play high school football. In addition, the football-playing students showed no increased risk of anger, anxiety, hostility, or heavy alcohol use.

These results are similar to those of a Mayo Clinic study published in December 2016, which examined a smaller population of men who played high school football. This study found no increased risk of dementia, Parkinson's Disease or ALS compared to a non-football playing group. More information on this Mayo Clinic study resides here.

The JAMA Neurology study has significant strengths in that it includes a large sample of students and was carefully controlled for important variables.

However, while the study indicates cognitive decline is not associated with playing high school football, it did not track which players had concussions and sub-concussive injuries, to see if those players had more negative outcomes in aging. There may be a subset of football players who do experience long term negative outcomes in aging.

It is also important to note that the authors point out that many aspects of the speed and power of the sport have changed since the 1950s, though it could also be argued that rules and equipment modifications have evolved for the better as has knowledge of how to diagnose and treat concussion.

The NAVY and ARMY (Pony, PW and INT) tiered system does not impact Registration.

You will still register for the appropriate Division and if you are a Returning Player the right team.

Middle School Football League (MSFL) players should select Fall 2016 Middle School Sign-Up.

We will place you on the appropriate team.

About Practice & Registration

New families to the RFL often ask about location and dates of practice. This is a team specific issue. All teams practice within the Rockville/Potomac/Bethesda area. Please see Franchises for more information. Schedules and game days are also outlined in this area.

Returning Players are those that played in the RFL in the Fall of 2014 or Fall 2015 and siblings. Priority for Returning Players ends on June 1.

If you are a Returning Player and the team you played for last year or the team you are supposed to move up to is full there is now a Waiting List Option. This also applies to New Players who request a team that is full. We will place New Player on the Waiting List if they request a full team.

If you choose to register and be placed on the Waiting List you will be notified by July 15 if there is room or another team has been established. If there is still not room on your desired team you can
1. Request a refund (less the $25 processing fee),
2. Be placed on another team or
3. Stay on the Waiting List to see if a spot opens up (no refund with this option).
There is still a good chance you will make the roster if you are registering before June 1.

Medical Waivers

Waivers for medical reasons must be initiated by a letter from a physician stating the medical condition that requires the request. Size and/or age in of itself will not qualify for a Waiver: RFL MEDICAL WAIVER FORM 2016.pdf

Team Waivers

RFL Waiver Forms must be submitted to apply for a player transfer from one team to another. Players must register for the team that they have played for in past years before applying for a waiver. All waiver forms must be submitted before June 15th.

Waivers to move to a different team will only be approved if the General Managers of both organizations and the Commissioner agree or if a player was assigned to a team other than the one requested because it was full or merged into the previous season due to roster space. The waiver will then be submitted to the RFL Executive Committee for final approval. To have a Waiver considered you must first register for the team you are supposed to play on and then follow the instructions for submitting Waiver Requests.

Instructions - Fill out the form below and email to the commissioner of the division you will be playing in for this season. RFL TEAM WAIVER FORM 2016.pdf

Spring Flag teams and coaches have no bearing on Fall team assignments.

Middle School Unlimited League Players

You will be placed based on Montgomery County High School Clusters. Private school students will be placed on a Montgomery County team that serves the cluster they live in. You must meet the following criteria to play in the Middle School League:

You must be entering the 8th grade in the fall of 2014.

OR Exceed the maximum weight restrictions of the Intermediate Division of the Rockville Football League. (currently 195 lbs.)

OR Any 7th Grader that has a minimum of two (2) years of tackle football experience.

First Time Registering Online?

"New Players" - when you enter the Registration System you will be create a new account if it is your first time using the system.

"Returning Players" - If you played in the RFL anytime since 2013 you will be a and always use the initial account you created, in fact all of your information will be there and the process will take about 2 minutes. If you want to register another family member that has not played before you will access the account you created for the first family member and almost all of your information will already be entered.

If you see box next to your child's name that says "INELIGIBLE" , either the information in the system is incomplete or the child does not meet the qualifications required to play in that division.

Click on the box, make sure all required areas are completed and accurate and then retry.

The Registration Fee Refunds and Discounts.

Refunds: The League Fee, City Cost Recovery Fee, Registration Process Fee and Credit Card or eCheck Fee is in one lump sum. 100% refunds less the Processing Fee and Credit Card or eCheck fee ($25.00) will only be issued until July 15. There will be no refunds after July 15.